Over the last three years, a case can be made that Kalen DeBoer has been the best coach that hasn't won a National Championship. After a successful tenure at Fresno State, Kalen DeBoer instantly turned around the Washington Huskies taking the team from 4-8 to 11-2 in his first season. The next season, Kalen DeBoer did the unthinkable, leading Washington to the National Championship Game but, falling just short of the title which was their only loss of the season.
After a meteoric rise, Kalen DeBoer was offered the challenge of being the coach that follows Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa and while it's a daunting task, Kalen DeBoer accepted the challenge. His first season in Tuscaloosa was weird as the Crimson Tide went 9-4 with strange losses to Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, and Michigan while winning every big game except the Tennessee game.
Whether you believe Kalen DeBoer will win a championship in Tuscaloosa or not, he's shown over the last 3 seasons that few are in the conversation with him as one of the best coaches in College Football. Despite the incredible track record, Kalen DeBoer continues to get underappreciated among his peers.
PFF’s Top 10 coaches list forgot these teams have played
PFF released it's Top 10 coaches rankings this week with Kalen DeBoer coming in as the 7th best coach in College Football.
Top 10 Head Coaches in College Football♨️ pic.twitter.com/PQqnaQygTg
— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 8, 2025
Ranking Kalen DeBoer behind several of these coaches is truly laughable and frankly ignores what everyone has seen on the field. Dan Lanning checks in as the 4th ranked coach in the sport yet, we've seen these two face off three times as rivals. Kalen DeBoer beat Lanning in their first seasons as the Ducks were ranked 6th to Washington's 25th. In 2023, DeBoer's 7th ranked Huskies beat the 8th ranked Ducks in the regular season before winning again in the Pac 12 Championship Game.
Putting Dan Lanning ahead of Kalen DeBoer is absurd when these coaches have faced off three times where Oregon has been seen as the better team and lost. Going into all three matchups, Oregon was touted as the better team yet, DeBoer outcoached Lanning pulling out the victories.
On the road to the National Championship Game, Kalen DeBoer ran into another coach ranked ahead of him in Steve Sarkisian. While Washington was the higher ranked team, Texas was favored coming into the game yet, Kalen DeBoer and his staff came out on top. Steve Sarkisian spent 7 seasons coaching in the Pac-12 Conference without ever winning a Conference Championship yet, DeBoer won a Pac 12 Title in 2 seasons.
When you look at the rest of the Top 10 rankings, Kalen DeBoer has a sterling record which begs the question why he's ranked 7th. In his first season at Alabama, Kalen DeBoer knocked off Kirby Smart and Georgia in an incredible game. DeBoer also demolished Brian Kelly and the LSU Tigers in Death Valley.
While other coaches get a ton of credit for doing very little, Kalen DeBoer continues to get very little credit for his impressive resume. Ultimately, Kalen DeBoer's legacy will be defined by what he does in his time at Alabama and with a loaded roster heading into the 2025 season, he'll have a serious shot at winning a National Championship.